Daughter of a Mage
by Princess Antanasia the Vampire
Summary: Maggie Hart is just a teen until a brutal attack forces her magic out.  Now Maggie must accept that she is not who she thought she was.  She leaves home to learn to control her magic and find out the truth about herself. T for rape and swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Maggie Hart is just a teenager until a brutal attack forces her magic out. Maggie now must come to terms with the fact that she is now a powerful practitioner of Magic, a victimized object, and not her parents' child. Mostly to escape the unwanted sympathy, Maggie leaves to learn to control her newfound power and find out the truth about her lineage.

**Author's Note: I love these stupid books and you know what, I'm upset about the end of Ghost Story. So you know what, Butcher? Attack of the fanfiction! So there! I can't fix it, so I'll make it work for my own purposes. That sounds about right. Nyaaaaa!**

**Disclaimer:** Jim Butcher's.

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><p>Maggie screamed in terror.<p>

"Ain't no one gonna hear you, Dollface."

"Please don't hurt me. _Please_." She sobbed. The snarling man ignored her begging and took another step close to his victim. Maggie whimpered unintelligibly. That was alright – he preferred it when they didn't fight back. He drew and flicked open a pocket knife. She cowered farther back. He leered at her. Then she fell back on her last hope.

"_Please help me. Please save me. Help me. _Please_."_ She whispered. Her attacker sniggered.

"Praying won't help you, sweetheart." He touched her face almost gently, but it was ruined by the knife in the same hand. He held her firmly and he brushed back her hair. He reached for his pants. Maggie whimpered again.

"I wasn't praying," her voice trembled as she said it. "At least not to any conventional god. I have a guardian angel. He will protect me from you." He laughed wickedly.

"No one's going to help you, Sugar. It's just me and you here."

"That's what the people who kidnapped me as a child thought, too." She wrestled against his grip around her waist.

"Sorry you were kidnapped, Sweetheart, but he's not coming." He undid his fly and reached for Maggie's breasts. She tried to bat his hand away but he pulled the knife to her face. She shuddered and shied away from it, but he was holding her too tightly. He took the knife from her face and sliced her blouse open. He grinned evilly, showing yellowed teeth.

"Lovely…" he murmured. She gagged at his foul breath that smelled very strongly of alcohol and old meat. He grabbed at her chest and Maggie shut down her mind. If she blocked it out, it wasn't happening, she reasoned. But she felt his large hand under her skirt, on her thigh, higher.

Maggie screamed. And then, from nowhere, out of her mouth, came a phrase she had never heard before in a long dead language.

"_Vento Servitas!"_ And from within her, came this wild explosion that touched only the sweaty, filthy man. He was thrown in the air by an invisible force and then landed with a loud noise. Maggie stood panting. Holding her ruined blouse closed, she leaned over her attacker. He wasn't breathing that she could see, and she wasn't going to touch him to check. Maggie kicked him hard between his legs for good measure. She quickly scurried away, picking up the cell phone he had forced from her hand as she went.

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><p>"<em>Today a young woman was attacked on her way home."<em>

Maggie shut her ears against the news report. She pulled the thin blanket closer around her. A nurse noted her distress and looked at the screen. She turned down the volume and patted Maggie. But Maggie could still hear the reporter talking about her.

"_Seventeen year old Margaret Hart was walking home from a friend's house when Mark Keller, a convicted sex offender, backed the young girl into an alley next to the Home of Angels cemetery on Oakland Avenue. Keller attempted to rape Miss Hart, but passed out drunk before he could hurt her too badly."_ So that's what the rationalization they're going with, Maggie thought. She turned back to the news.

"…_and if you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted please call this hotline for…"_ Maggie looked away. She felt as if there had been an unwanted spotlight on her that had finally moved on. She shivered. The nurse came back to her and told her that her mom and dad had arrived. Her parents entered the room accompanied by the police officer Maggie had first spoken to.

Mom flew at her at peered at her and examined her and touched her and cooed at her. Dad stood a few feet back, reserved and awkward, not knowing how to handle his hurt daughter. Maggie sat numbly for a moment and then she pushed her mother away.

"Leave me alone, Mom!" She screamed, tears filling her eyes. "I'm _fine_! The stupid son of a bitch didn't get me. I'm not hurt! I'm not a baby!" She threw the blanket from her shoulders.

Her mother tried to put her arms around her. "You've been violated, sweetie. It's alright, Mommy's here. You're gonna be okay." Maggie threw her mother away.

"I'm haven't been violated, Mom! That's exactly the point! I'm a freak! I _made_ that stupid shit collapse! I did something – God only knows what – and he got knocked out!" She was breathing heavily. "I'm a freak." She repeated softly. Her eyes welled up with tears and she completely missed the anxious, frightened glance her parents shared.

"I understand why it seems that way, darling, but I'm sure it wasn't you." Her mother soothed, not sounding so sure herself. Maggie didn't hear that.

"I know what I saw! I said something in a language I don't recognize, let alone _know how to speak_ and he was thrown back. I'm such a freak, Mom." She broke down sobbing. "I was so scared. It just burst out of me." She allowed her mom to hold her. Maggie folded herself into her mother. Mrs. Hart looked over her daughter's shoulder at her husband. She saw her own fright mirrored in his eyes.

They knew that they had to tell her.

**Author's Note, part II: Short for a first chapter, I know. But I feel that it says what it needs to say and it sets the tone for the story. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Maggie Hart is just a teenager until a brutal attack forces her magic out. Maggie now must come to terms with the fact that she is now a powerful practitioner of Magic, a victimized object, and not her parents' child. Mostly to escape the unwanted sympathy, Maggie leaves to learn to control her newfound power and find out the truth about her lineage.

**Author's Note: Yo. First let me clarify something that was brought up in reviews: Maggie is not with the Carpenters, for a couple reasons. My version of Maggie does not have a stable or strong religious belief. Also, I know close to nothing about Christian faith and my writing her with belief like the Carpenters would instill would end up sounding uninformed and poorly written. Also, plain and simple, both Michael and Molly are recognizable as people Harry cares about and would be likely to leave his daughter with. Remember, there are people that want to hurt her to get to Harry. The Carpenters, mostly Michael and Charity and Molly, are still watching over her – just out of her sight. And just as note – this was Michael and Charity's idea. They thought it wouldn't be safe for her and found the couple and explained the situation to them.**

**Wow, that was longer than I meant for it to be. I'm going to shut up now. Enjoy and review.**

**Disclaimer:** It's not mine; it belongs to Jim Butcher.

_Maggie has ceased to scream. Her voice hurts and screaming only makes the monsters laugh. She wants her Mommy but she knows that she never will again. She knows her sisters and brothers are all dead, and it is her fault. The monsters made sure she knew that. They tell her again and again. They are scary and they talk about killing her like they did her Mommy and Daddy. The weird looking one smiles at her, but it is not a nice smile. He is like the big, bad wolf and he is going to eat little Maggie all up. She makes herself small and pretends that they can't see her. She wipes her nose on her sleeve. She doesn't want to cry again, but she can't help it. And then the Man comes. His face is in shadow and his clothing is weird. She thinks that her looks funny, but strong and a little bit scary. He reaches for her and he tells her that he has come to rescue her. Then she sees that he looks nice and she intuitively knows her will protect her. She is in his arms. He holds her tightly. He's warm and strong and protective._

_And then he drops her. She falls for what feels like forever. She lands on her ass, her legs splayed. Her skirt has ridden up and an indecent amount of her thighs is showing. Mark Keller is staring lustfully at her. He is coming closer to her with a wicked looking knife. She looks around wildly for the man who was supposed to save her. But he was gone and she was alone with the disgusting rapist. She took a deep breath and shouted "Vento Servitas!" And Keller was blown back like he had been in life. Then the Man who had saved her when she was eight was in front of her. He was wearing all black and he looked more fearsome than he had when she had been little._

"_Why didn't you help me?" she asked her guardian angel._

"_Maggie…" He whispered. She really looked at him and he looked like pain. His face was worn and his eyes were haunted. He was leaning on a large staff that was carved with glowing symbols. She was frightened of him. "Maggie…" he whispered again. Her eyes began to well up with tears. She didn't know why but this man made her so sad. He reached for her and she reaches out for him. "Maggie…" he whispered a third time._

"_I'm here." She said, and takes his hand. He looks at where they touch and frowns faintly. He looks up forlornly._

"_My little girl…" Maggie met his eyes, not understanding. "You are strong, Maggie. You are strong because you must be. More than you know. Be brave, Margaret."_

_Maggie let go of his hand and his frown deepened. "I don't understand." She whispered. He just shook his head sadly. "Who _are_ you?" she cried. He just kissed her forehead._

"_Maggie…"_

Maggie woke up trembling. She tried to reach for the dream, but it turned to smoky tendrils in her mind. She knew it had something to do with the rape and with the kidnapping and that her guardian angel had been there, but she couldn't remember. She wrapped herself in her quilt, handmade by some long forgotten relative. It was well worn and faded and Maggie felt safe in its folds. She sat up in bed, and held herself as she cried. She tried to stay silent, but a sob escaped her. She buried her face in the soft blanket to stifle the whimpers. She tried to calm herself by running her fingers over the familiar scene embroidered on the quilt. It was a childish portrait of a knight in shining armor saving a damsel in distress from a dragon. She was in the process of tracing the knight's handsome, but washed-out face when there was a soft knock on her bedroom door. Her mother opened the door without waiting to be invited in. She sat at the foot of Maggie's bed. Maggie looked up at her.

"Mom," she whispered, "who made my quilt?" Her mom looked startled. She looked at her husband, who had followed her into the room.

"A friend of…A friend named Charity Carpenter. She made it for you when we adopted you. Actually, we have something to tell you; Charity and her husband, Michael, are involved." Maggie looked at her parents. They both looked serious and a little bit sad. She didn't say anything, just looked. Her mother plowed on, bravely. "And it involves what happened with the rape." Maggie looked down.

"I don't want to talk about the rape." She whispered.

"I know sweetheart, but it's about what you did to that disgusting animal." Her dad said kindly, except the last three words which he said as if they tasted foul. He sat down on the other side of Maggie.

"Maggie. Margaret. You know you're adopted." She nodded at her father.

"The people who kidnapped me when I was eight killed my family." She supplied bitterly.

"Well, yes." Her mother said. "But they were also an adoptive family." Maggie looked up sharply.

"You're lying!" Her mother smoothed her hair. "No!" Maggie shouted, swatting her mother away.

"Maggie, sweetheart, your mother is telling the truth." Her father said, putting his hand over hers. She looked at him. Her father never lied.

"So who were my parents?" She asked softly.

"Your biological mother's name was Susan Rodriguez. Your father was a man named Harry Dresden. They wanted to get married, but couldn't. I'll explain why. They were separated by really bad circumstances. But your mom didn't tell your dad until you were kidnapped." Maggie tried to take in what her mom was saying but it sounded like gibberish.

"Maggie, honey?" her father asked.

"Did you know them?" She asked.

"We never knew Susan; she died rescuing you from your kidnapers." Maggie had a flash of a face, twisted by pain. "Harry contacted us after you were given to us by the Carpenters. He asked that we give him pictures and updates and inconsequential details about you as often as we could without being conspicuous. He wanted so much to be a part of your life. He loves you, Maggie." Maggie looked from her mother to her father and back.

"Why didn't he just keep me? If he cares so much, why didn't he keep me?" Maggie asked trying to justify the anger she was trying to feel. Mostly she just felt tired.

"Dangerous." Her father answered. "Because there's more, honey. Your father, Harry Dresden, is a wizard."

It had taken most of an hour for the Harts to convince Maggie that Harry Dresden was in fact a wizard. They had then explained about his enemies and his allies and his heroicness and how good he was. They explained how the responsibility of finding her a family had gone to one of Harry's closest friends and the father of his apprentice, Michael Carpenter, a Knight of the Cross. They explained that her kidnappers had been vampires and they explained about her mother's condition.

Then they told her that what she had done to her attacker had been magic.

**Author's Note part II: Sorry I couldn't write out the whole conversation. It would have been time consuming and unnecessary. Maybe if I have the time and inclination, I'll write it as a deleted scene and post it separately. I hope you enjoyed. Please click the review button. Reviews really do make my day! Thank you for reading.**

**PAtV**


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